Fading Whispers
by heygirlx3
Summary: It's been four years since Edward left Bella standing in the woods. When the Cullen's return to Washington they will discover that a lot can change in four years. What will unfold when they meet Bella ... and her daughter?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this story starts out 4 years after Edward left Bella in New Moon. I don't think you need to know anymore at this point. The song mentioned is "Dreamer" by Kari Kimmel. I do not own these characters etc. etc. PLEASE review and let me know if I should continue this. I would really appreciate any feedback. =]**

**EPOV**

We walked into the dimly lit bar located in downtown Seattle. It had be about four years since we had been here, in the state of Washington. Alice had insisted that we go out and do something. I was unwilling dragged to this dark, musky bar by my "siblings", for all intents and purposes.

"There's a table!" Alice chirped. She skipped over to the far corner of the room and took a seat at a booth. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper followed after her. _Don't ruin this for the rest of us._

I dragged myself over to the booth and took a seat next to Emmett.

"I don't even understand why we're here," I was seriously contemplating leaving at any moment, "and why are we at a bar? We can't even drink." I lowered my voice and looked at Alice.

"Oh, come on Edward. Have a little fun!" Emmett's booming laughed turned a few heads around us.

I sulked farther down into my seat, barely aware of the noise and thoughts around me. I didn't understand why of all places on Earth we had to end up back in Washington. Didn't the rest of them know this was killing me?

"Edward, please, you're really putting a damper on my mood" I looked over to see Jasper pleading at me with his eyes.

"Sorry Jasper." I looked up to see a small, beautifully pale girl with long blonde hair standing at a microphone on the small stage at the front of the room. She tapped the microphone twice, gaining the attention of the people occupying the area. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt with an apron tied around her waist – a waitress, I guessed.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone. But I'd like to invite my friend up to take the stage. After much badgering she's finally agreed to sing for us." The girl nodded to someone before walking off the stage, while a few patrons, who looked like they frequented this place, started to cheer for the person ascending the stairs. She walked slowing, tentatively, before taking her place at a keyboard set up on the tiny stage.

_Oh my god…. Is that? … It can't be … Edward's going to kill me. _

These were the thoughts that were occupying my siblings' minds. I looked at them confused when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Um, hi. So, Leigh has finally convinced me to get up here and perform. This is my first time in front of a crowd. Ever. Um, I wrote this song myself, so, yeah." She bit her bottom lip and shrugged her shoulders before placing her delicate fingers on the keyboard. My head was spinning, and I was sure that if I were human I would have passed out.

"Edward, are you okay?" The voice was Rosalie's, concern laced with her words. I had to use all my strength to simply nod my head, my eyes never leaving the girl in front of me. She began playing and the music was intoxicatingly beautiful. My mind was racing… and then she started to sing…

_I used to laugh aloud when you were around, now you're far away_

_Can't even hear me_

_With every other word you said to me as I fell asleep_

_Now they're fading whispers_

_I can't remember_

_I believed we were in this together_

_Giving everything for a chance at forever_

Her voice was beautiful. She had never mentioned that she could sing, let alone play the piano. But the look in her eyes was far away, and the edge in her voice was heart wrenching.

_I'm a dreamer_

_Who should've known better_

_And I thought you had a dream here too_

_I'm a dreamer who should've known better_

_Cuz now I have to live, I have to live_

_In this dream without you_

The thoughts of all the people around me contained amazement and approval, and satisfaction. Apparently those who new her had tried to get her to play for a while, but she always refused, said it was too hard for her. The song continued but I couldn't seem to think straight. She was here. In this room. After all these years. I was vaguely aware of Alice gauging my reactions from across the table and Rosalie eyeing me skeptically. Japser and Emmett were gawking at the stage, just as impressed as the rest of the audience assembled here.

_With every other word you made me yours_

_With every wish you breathed_

_And every promise_

_Yeah, yeah_

_How did you read my mind,_

_Tell me every line that I longed to hear_

_Well you were so convincing_

_But you left me empty_

_I remember when we were both so naive_

_And now you're telling me that you never believed_

There were more words pouring out of her as she continued singing, but I didn't hear them. _You left me empty_. The line echoed in my head, reverberating against the edges of my skull, my soul. The lyrics were doubting, confused, self-loathing. I resurfaced just as the song was coming to a close. She played the last few notes and opened her eyes, which she had kept closed for most of her performance. As her eyelids opened, a single tear slipped down her cheek, and then another one, and another one. She thanked her audience and stood from the stool she had been seated on, wiping away the traitor tears that had escaped her.

The petite girl with the blonde hair rushed to her side and hugged her tightly, whispering encouraging and soothing words at her. She smiled, wiped her eyes once more, and brushed her hands on the apron I now noticed she was wearing. _She must work here_. At that moment a small child, with soft curls and a light-hearted giggle, came running from behind the bar, rushing towards the pair.

"Mommy!" the little girl yelled. I watched as the blonde girl turned her head to look in the direction of the voice. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched the scene in front of me unfold. The girl giggled again and launched herself at Bella, who had crouched down to the girl's height and caught her in her arms, embracing her tightly.

_What the… Bella has a daughter?... What's going on…_ I was acutely aware of the thoughts and questions bombarding me at that moment, but couldn't make my body move or my eyes look away. It was at that moment that from across the room Bella, still clinging to the little girl, looked up and our eyes met. I stared at her as the smile that had momentarily graced her face vanished just as quickly as it had emerged.


	2. Chapter 2

**BPOV**

I rushed around the apartment, picking up toys and shoes and God knows what else that was strewn across the floor. I had to be at work in an hour and there was no way I was leaving my home in this order. I put everything away and then quietly opened the door to Lizzie's room. She's was sleeping in the same position she had been in since I put her down for her nap, with blonde curls cascading around her pillow. I stood in the doorway and watched her sleep. It was unbelievable to me that she was already four years old.

_-**flashback**-_

_"Bella, that's it. I'm calling your mother. You're going to Florida," Charlie's stern voice cut through the silence that engulfed the dinner table. I wearily looked up from my plate to meet his eyes._

_"But…why? I didn't do anything." Not my best retort but my mind was otherwise occupied._

_"That's exactly why. You don't DO anything Bella. You just sit here in this house for days at a time. You don't speak unless spoken to. It's like someone died. I just, I can't stand to see you like this anymore Bella, it's killing me" Charlie's tone had gone from angry to concerned and sad in a matter of milliseconds._

_"Dad," I whispered, unable to look him in the eye I dropped my head again._

_"Yes?" He responded, after he realized I wasn't going to continue._

_"Dad, I'm pregnant." I said the words in a ghost of a whisper. I looked up to see Charlie staring at me wide-eyed, mouth agape. He said nothing. Charlie wasn't big on emotions, or personal discussion. This topic was clearly way out of his comfort zone. He stood and I prepared for the worst. To my surprise I felt two arms engulf me into the tightest hug I had felt in a while and I started to cry._

_-**End flashback**-_

Edward and I had slept together a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday, a few weeks before he left me. It had been a rough 9 months, and I was scared that the baby would be more Edward than myself, but as things turned out she was born a healthy, mostly human baby girl, besides from the fact that she occasionally needed blood to survive. I had no idea if she would grow up normally, if she would stop aging at some point, but right now we were doing well, and I wasn't going to worry away my time with her. I had finished high school with the Charlie's help and took some time off before starting college to major in English. I attended the university in Seattle and moved into a small, two-bedroom apartment in a nice area of the city (also with the help of Charlie) with Elizabeth. I was now in my final year of school and working at the bar near campus, along with my job as a journalist, in order to support my daughter and myself.

Upon moving to Seattle I met Leigh, a pale, blonde girl with a strikingly beautiful face. Too beautiful.

_-**flashback**-_

_"Ouch!" I gasped and I felt myself hit what I assumed was a wall or some other inanimate object. Walking into stationary things wasn't all that uncommon for me. I picked up the book I had dropped and looked up to see one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen, with the exception of the Cullens, of course. That's when it hit me. I was so entranced by her all too familiar golden eyes that I missed the brilliant smile that had appeared._

_"Are you okay?" she said, in a tone that made me believe that this wasn't the first thing she had said to me. I shook my head, cleared my thoughts. This couldn't be real._

_There was no way. But I knew all too well that the most impossible of circumstances were indeed possible. "My name's Everleigh," she said as she extended her hand. I shook it and felt the cold skin that I had become so accustomed to._

_-End flashback-_

It wasn't long after that that we had become friends. Leigh and I had been in the same journalism class and after talking for about a month I revealed my knowledge of her world. I shared my story with her, my past life, my hybrid daughter. It felt incredible to finally have a friend with whom I could share all of my secrets, tell all of my stories to without having to leave out the monstrous details. She adored Elizabeth and frequented our apartment. She was the best friend I had had since, well, Alice. I hated when I thought about them, and having Leigh around made it very difficult in the beginning. But she knew the whole story, every wish and dream I ever had, every crushing word that had been said to me. She was necessary for my survival; I desperately needed someone to confide in, someone to tell me when I was being ridiculous, and someone to help my daughter. Elizabeth occasionally needed blood to survive and Leigh aided us in a way that no one else could. I had worried a lot about how I was to continue to supply my baby girl with the one thing she needed that I could not provide. We were best friends, nearly sisters, and we would do anything for each other.

As I was watching Elizabeth sleep the phone rang.

"Bella?" the voice said when I had answered, "Bella, honey, I'm so sorry but I'm stuck at work and I can't make it to baby sit Lizzie tonight."

"It's okay Cathy. I'll see you tomorrow?" I tried not to let my disappointment show in my tone.

"Absolutely doll, I can't stay away from that little girl for long."

I smiled. Cathy was in her mid-sixties and worked as a receptionist in a hospital not far from where Elizabeth and I lived. It was through her (without her knowledge) that I had managed to provide Elizabeth with blood the few times in became necessary when I had first moved to Seattle and learned of her thirst. She watched Elizabeth on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the nights I worked as a waitress at the bar.

I started putting together a bag for Lizzie. This wasn't the first time I'd have to take her to work with me. The bartender loved her and there was a small playpen set up in a room behind the bar that she could play and sleep in. I felt terrible, having to drag her with me, but I had no other options. It was especially difficult tonight, because there was something else I had to worry about, something I had promised Leigh I would do. She had been begging me since the night she had walked into the apartment a few months ago and caught me singing a song I had written when I was playing around with words one day. I wasn't even a good singer so I didn't know why she kept begging me to play at the bar. I had taken up the piano over the year. I found it was therapeutic. And I suppose I had starting messing around with words, maybe accidentally made a song or two. But I had never intended to actually perform for anyone. I had no idea why she had finally convinced me to agree to this.

"Lizzie, baby, time to wake up. You're coming with mommy tonight"

She rubbed her sleep-filled eyes and smiled up at me, reaching her arms to be picked up. I obliged and, kissing her forehead, grabbed her bag of things and headed toward the car, hugging her close.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know that so far this is all build-up and backstory, but I promise it will be more exciting in the next chapter. Also, any suggestions, comments, ideas would be appreciated, so feel free. **

_BPOV_

"Mommy, why are you sad?" Elizabeth said as she reached up and pressed her tiny hand against my cheek. "Mommy?"

I heard her voice and wanted to soothe her, tell her everything was okay, that I wasn't sad, but my voice was jumbled up somewhere inside me, being crushed by a flood of memories and what felt like a hole gapping in my chest. I could barely breathe as I clutched my baby tighter to me, which clearly made her ever more distressed. Leigh must have sensed my panic and when she followed my gaze she knew right away what had caused it. Grabbing me by the shoulders she pulled me to standing, took Lizzie from my arms, and grabbed me by the elbow.

Once behind the bar, Leigh was in full-fledge damage control mode. "Chace, we need to go early. Can you cover for us?" She directed this question to the bartender, a guy about my age who loved playing with Lizzie when I needed to bring her with me.

He took one look at me, obviously concerned, and responded, "yeah, absolutely, is everything okay?"

"It will be. I just need to get Bella and Elizabeth home." Leigh began grabbing Elizabeth's things as Chace just nodded in understanding.

"Okay, well hope everything's okay, Bells" he said to me and hugged me tightly before he turned to Elizabeth, now perched on my hip. He tickled her, throwing her into a fit of giggles before saying "and you, Miss Elizabeth, better come back and play with me soon, okay?" She hid her face in my hair in response and Chace laughed.

"Thanks Chace, see you tomorrow." Leigh said and ushered Elizabeth and me out the back door.

_EPOV_

I watched as tears quickly filled her beautiful brown eyes and she clutched the little girl clinging to her tighter. The little girl. The one who had called her "mommy". Bella had a daughter. I looked to the blonde girl standing beside Bella, anxious to know what was going on, if maybe her thoughts could reveal something to me, but to my astonishment I couldn't hear anything from her. It wasn't the same as the silence I heard when trying to read Bella's mind. This was different, it was like the words were there but I couldn't make them out, like ink smudged on a page. Knowing that my attempt to learn anything from this girl would be futile, it turned my attention to the little girl. Her head was jumbled with panic and confusion and all she wanted was Bella's comfort. She clearly loved her more than anything in the world, and this thought made me smile a little in spite of myself.

I focused back on the real world and saw the girls now talking to the man behind the bar. He looked lovingly at Bella and teased the little girl as she laughed. From his thoughts I had gathered that this man was not the baby's father, and that the baby's name was Lizzie. He clearly loved Bella, but in a protective, brotherly kind of way, much in the same way that Emmett loved Alice. I watched as they gathered their things and swiftly exited the door behind the bar.

"Edward what are you doing?! Don't just stand there!" This was Alice. She was clearly frustrated that I wasn't running after Bella, after all catching her wouldn't be all that difficult. But how could I go after her now, knowing all too well that she had done exactly what I had asked, she had moved on and lived a happy, human life. I felt a crushing pain in my chest at the thought.

* * *

Bella sat on the sofa in her living room with her legs curled under herself as Leigh sat crossed legged on an adjacent chair. Lizzie had fallen asleep about an hour ago, exhausted.

"I just don't know what to do," Bella sighed and took a sip from the coffee mug she was holding, "I mean, I was never supposed to see him again. It was supposed to be like he never existed, he promised me that. And obviously that was never true, I mean, I've lived with a reminder of him for the past four years. Not that I don't love my daughter…" Bella rambled on and Leigh let her talk. When Bella got into these mindsets, Leigh knew that her input would do little good. Bella just had to talk through her thoughts and figure out what to do. She usually came out on the other side with little help from others.

"Can I ask you a question?" Leigh said, interrupting Bella's rant.

Bella stopped talking and looked directly at her closest friend, "yeah, of course."

"Do you still love him?" Leigh looked at Bella whose face had contorted into an expression of surprise and then thought and finally landed on sadness. Leigh could tell that she was choosing her words carefully before she spoke.

"I'll always love him." She said it with such conviction that Leigh knew that Bella meant every word that she spoke. "I don't think it's possible to love anyone the way I loved him, or for any other person to love anyone that way now that I think about it. But when I think back to that day in the woods… I can't imagine feeling that amount of pain ever again. I know I've told you the entire story before, but I'm not sure that words can even express the way that I felt clear enough. It was like a hole had been punched through my chest. I literally had to hold myself together to keep from falling apart. It was like being told everything I've ever believed in was all a lie. Nothing made sense anymore. I know that I physically could not bear that kind of pain again. And I would never in a hundred years ever want my daughter to feel even a fraction of what I felt. So yeah, I may always love him, but I can't trust him." Bella sighed and shook her head, "Anyway," she said, breaking out of her reverie, "it's not like any of that matters, it's not like he loves me or wants me. He made that perfectly clear four years ago."

Leigh stood and hugged Bella as tightly as she could, wishing there was something more she could do for her friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know I've made you wait awhile for this next chapter, and I apologize for it being so short. I've been experiencing a little bit writers block but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. I know where I want this story to end up but I'm not sure what direction I want to take to get it there. Any comments, suggestions, feedback - positive or negative - would be greatly appreciated! **

Bella sat on the sofa in her living room with her legs curled under herself as Leigh sat crossed legged on an adjacent chair. Lizzie had fallen asleep about an hour ago, exhausted.

"I just don't know what to do," Bella sighed and took a sip from the coffee mug she was holding, "I mean, I was never supposed to see him again. It was supposed to be like he never existed, he promised me that. And obviously that was never true, I mean, I've lived with a reminder of him for the past four years. Not that I don't love my daughter…" Bella rambled on and Leigh let her talk. When Bella got into these mindsets, Leigh knew that her input would do little good. Bella just had to talk through her thoughts and figure out what to do. She usually came out on the other side with little help from others.

"Can I ask you a question?" Leigh said, interrupting Bella's rant.

Bella stopped talking and looked directly at her closest friend, "yeah, of course."

"Do you still love him?" Leigh looked at Bella whose face had contorted into an expression of surprise and then thought and finally landed on sadness. Leigh could tell that she was choosing her words carefully before she spoke.

"I'll always love him." She said it with such conviction that Leigh knew that Bella meant every word that she spoke. "I don't think it's possible to love anyone the way I loved him, or for any other person to love anyone that way now that I think about it. But when I think back to that day in the woods… I can't imagine feeling that amount of pain ever again. I know I've told you the entire story before, but I'm not sure that words can even express the way that feeling clearly enough, like a hole had been punched through my chest where my heart once was. I literally had to hold myself together to keep from falling apart. It was like being told everything I've ever believed in was all a lie. Nothing made sense anymore. I know that I physically could not bear that kind of pain again. And I would never in a hundred years ever want my daughter to feel even a fraction of what I had to feel. So yeah, I may always love him, but I can't trust him." Bella sighed and shook her head, "Anyway," she said, breaking out of her reverie, "it's not like any of that matters, it's not like he loves me or wants me. He made that perfectly clear four years ago." Leigh stood and hugged Bella as tightly as she could, wishing there was something more she could do for her friend.

"Mommy?" Lizzie's head poked out of the slightly ajar door to her bedroom. When she saw Bella and Leigh she opened the door wider and padded out into the room, her teddy bear hanging from her closed hand.

"What's the matter baby?" Bella asked as she stretched out her arm and lifted her little girl to her lap when she approached. Lizzie snuggled closer to Bella before responding.

"I can't sleep." Lizzie responded and she looked up at her mother. Her light brown curls feel softly to her shoulders and she sighed a little sigh that Bella couldn't help but smile at. She loved this little girl more than life itself.

"You want to sit with Mommy and Aunt Leigh for a little while? Until you get sleepy?" Lizzie nodded in response and snuggled into Bella, holding her teddy bear tight. "Mommy?" Lizzie asked, her face hidden behind her hair. "Who was that boy in your work?"

Bella looked to Leigh, shocked. She hadn't realized that Lizzie had noticed Edward, but clearly she had seen him. "Just a boy I used to know." Bella said, rubbing soothing circles on the small girl's back.

"Why did he make you sad?" she mumbled. Bella looked at her daughter again, she could be so observant at times. She stared helplessly at Leigh while she considered her response. When she looked down at Lizzie again, however, she noticed the little girls deep, even breaths and was relieved that her baby had fallen asleep. Standing up with Lizzie in her arms, she headed towards her room to put her back in her bed. After tucking her in and kissing her goodnight, Bella made her way back to the living room. She was confused when she saw Leigh standing, staring in the direction of her door. When she turned the corner she froze in her tracks.

"Bella!" came a high-pitched, musical voice.

"Alice? What are you doing here?" Bella said. She didn't know what to do. Should she cross the room and hug her? Or continue standing here staring? Was she happy? Sad? Angry? Relieved? A thousand feelings coursed through her as she stood there, frozen where she was. She couldn't think, could barely breathe, and she knew that at any moment she was going to start crying.

"I just want to talk. Edward doesn't know I'm here." Alice said, "I miss you, Bella."

That seemed to be what Bella needed to settle on an emotion.

"You miss me? You MISS me? You LEFT me! You left when HE left. You were my best friend. You didn't even say goodbye! You changed your phone number – I called. I called everyday for the first few weeks. I NEEDED you. I needed someone. How could you have left me here, by myself? How could he leave me? He said he loved me. He lied to me. He left me there, in the woods. He told me he didn't love me, he said he didn't want me. And he left and you left. And I was alone. And I wanted to hate him, to hate all of you. And I couldn't. He promised me. He said it would be like he never existed. And he LIED. He lied, I mean, look, you're here. You're here and you're lying to me to! You can't miss me. If you missed me you would have tried to contact me, find me. It wouldn't have been difficult. You're here because of a coincidence. Because we were in the same place at the same time and you, wha- what, felt guilty? You saw me, and then you felt guilty and now, what? Are you here to ease your own guilt? If you hadn't been at the bar tonight would you have ever come to find me? You were my best friend. And you left. And now you're back? I can't DO this right now." Bella took a deep breath, trying to control the sobs that now racked her body. She wrapped an arm around her chest and Leigh came towards her and pulled her into a hug.

Alice stood there, dumfounded. She thought Bella would be upset, but she never saw this coming, which was a particularly unusual feeling for her. She never imagined that Bella would be this angry, and angry with her nonetheless. But what was she talking about – the woods and Edward saying he didn't want her? None of that made any sense.

"I'm sorry Bella. I really am. I didn't know. I swear I didn't" Alice said and she backed towards the door. "I'll leave you my phone number, in case you, ya know." And with that she was out the door, leaving Bella emotionally drained and bewildered in her living room.


End file.
